Drumroll...................
I'm a nerd.
I'm a nerd.
I'm actually several types of nerd.....a band nerd and a garden nerd for starters. I've been a band nerd for over 50 years now. The garden nerding started back in 1995.
I've probably have some sort of genetic pre-disposition to nerd-ism because I just can't seem to help myself.
The signs of my nerdism are obvious. Just yesterday I spent 5 hours in the garden digging up weeds, volunteer seedlings and other spring clean-up. And as we speak, it is pouring rain and I am ecstatic ( a sure sign of garden nerdism is the reaction to rain- garden nerds love rain and obsess about it).
And just before I sat down to write this, I practiced the saxophone for an hour in preparation for a band rehearsal this afternoon. And I have another band practice tomorrow night for another band I am in. ( a sure sign of band nerd-ism is playing in more than 1 concert band past high school).
Back when I was growing up, we didn't use the term nerd. We might have called someone a doofus, or a weirdo, but nerd was not in our lexicon. I know some of you reading this are thinking "he's a word-nerd" for using the word lexicon instead of vocabulary and you might be right. I'll not take umbrage with your assessment since I admitted earlier to being at least several types of nerd and only listed garden and band as nerd-isms. Truth be told, I've got a plethora of nerd-isms.
I'm not exactly sure of when I started to identify myself as a nerd, but when I did, it was as a band-nerd first. A feature writer for the Omaha World Herald wrote a column about our community band back in the early 1990's and titled it "Band Nerds are Envied". He wrote about how cool it was that a bunch of people who were probably thought of as band nerds in high school had a pretty good thing going as adults.
I never thought being in band wasn't cool. I realize now that admitting that probably qualifies me as a band nerd, but it takes more than just being in a band to make you a band nerd. It got me thinking about what constitutes a nerd anyway. I looked it up.
"An intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a non-social hobby or pursuit."
"A person who behaves awkwardly around other people and who usually has unstylish clothes, hair, etc."
I like the intelligent part, but single-minded? Hardly, although I admit to the obsession with hobbies and pursuits. Playing in band has always been an extremely social activity for me. And as for the behaving awkwardly and unstylish clothes, well check out this picture taken when I was a senior in high school. It's got style, sociability and marching band all wrapped up in a nice package (never mind the fact that I'm hitting on sophomore girls).
So while I might not have the social ineptness that usually accompanies the stereotypical person described as a nerd, I do bear other resemblances to my fellow nerds.
My garden nerdism started when I visited Claude Monet's Giverny garden in 1995. It exploded a couple of years later when I asked my soon to be spouse if I could plant a few flowers back in the corner of her yard. It turned into this:
Here a just of few examples of my band and garden nerdism:
Here a just of few examples of my band and garden nerdism:
- I get excited when seed catalogs start arriving in the mail and I read them cover to cover storing away all kinds of useless information about plants and gardening related minutae.
- When I see an old classic march or Broadway show medley in the band folder, my heart jumps a beat or two.
- On vacations, I'm always looking for gardens or botanical centers, that sort of thing. And I'm tempted to trespass into stranger's backyards just to get closer look at their gardens.
- I've requested to have some of my favorite band selections played at my funeral. Forget the sad songs, let's have a Percy Grainger tune or a Karl King march.
- In spring, I make the rounds at all the garden centers and nurseries just to see what they have, to compare prices and see what's new and to scout for places to work in case I need a job in retirement.
- I get a kick out of nonchalantly telling people, "I've got band practice tonight". At nearly 62 years of age, that never gets old, even though I'm getting older.
Between music, band and gardening, I've the fixation and "obsession with a pursuit or hobby" thing down pat. As far as the social inpettitude, that's not my deal, but I also think it is a bit unfair to many I know who have been labeled a nerd just for that reason.
Sure, if you go to the band rehearsal I'm participating in tomorrow night, there a few odds ducks there. Some dress like they bought their clothes at a rummage sale...in 1978. And a few seem to be more comfortable relating to their shoes than to other people, given where they eyes are cast more often than not. But once you get to know them, well, that's the hard part, but I'm sure they are quite nice people.
And I'm sure if you attend the Master Gardener's free workshops at the County Extension Office, you'll meet a few folks there who are better at pruning shrubs than dressing for success. But who needs to look stylish when your hobby is playing in the dirt.
The point is that when you pursue your passions, other things just aren't as important. And while I certainly didn't intend to be a nerd, I did make an intentional choice to pursue my passions. And if that makes me a nerd, then I'll wear that label proudly. And loudly.
So what's your nerdism? Books? Birds? Golf? Gadgets? Cooking? Crafting? Almost anything goes if you're passionate about it.
Just don't say shopping or how you look.
Pursue your passions without regard to what other people think and you'll live a rich life.
And while you're at it, reach out and make friends with a nerd. It may take you a while, but you'll get a lot of practice working your social skills.
And it will annoy the nerd.
Just kidding. Sort of.
OK, I'm done now.
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| This picture is proof of my band nerdism. Leisure suit, anyone? |
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